Less than a year after opening a new, larger base of operations, K9s For Warriors, the Ponte Vedra-based organization which helps military service men and women who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma reenter society with the help of service dogs, is expanding again.
Although the facility quadrupled the amount of veterans the organization can accommodate per month, the wait list to get into the program is over a year long. So, less than a year after Camp K9 officially opened, the organization is expanding its operation again, building a second kennel that will be similar in size to the original kennel, but will more than double Camp K9’s capacity for service dogs. Additional dog trainers will also be hired to accommodate the increase. A groundbreaking ceremony for the second kennel took place Feb. 23.
It is estimated that 22 veterans commit suicide in America each day – a jarring statistic that the organization is working to combat.
The grand opening celebration for Camp K9 was held on May 30, 2015. The PARC Group, Nocatee’s master developer, partnered with Summit Contracting Group collaborated to donate both the land and construction of the facility, which is situated on nine acres of land donated by the PARC Group and the Davis family.
Camp K9 can accommodate up to 16 veterans per month. The veterans stay on site at the facility for three weeks at a time while they are paired and trained to work with their service dogs.
For more information about K9s for Warriors and its work, visit www.k9sforwarriors.org.
